Trading Steve Nash to the LA Lakers resulted in some obvious losses for the Suns. We all know Nash can score and put players in position to get buckets, but an undersold hit taken by Phoenix is in the leadership department.

With the face of their franchise now playing for a division rival, the Suns are left to choose a new leader from a roster filled with mostly talented but unproven players—big men Marcin Gortat and Luis Scola being among the rare exceptions.

Also included in that group is Jared Dudley, a forward who made steady improvement since joining the Phoenix Suns via trade in the 2008-09 season. Last year was Dudley’s best with averages of 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. While impressive, his numbers don’t exactly scream team leader. Nevertheless, Dudley appears prepared for that role.

“Being a leader is natural to me,” Dudley told Suns.com. “Sometimes you can do it different ways. For me I want to be a voice and consummate professional, be in the weight room and stay after practice. When things go wrong, that’s when you show your leadership. It’s easy to be a leader when things are going well.”

If leadership is shown during hard times, the Suns should have plenty of opportunities for that personality to step forward. Phoenix finished 33-33 last season, and that was with veterans like Nash and Grant Hill, who will also go to Los Angeles as a member of the Clippers.

This offseason saw an influx of talented but inexperienced players, including Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic and Kendall Marshall. Team regulars like Channing Frye and Shannon Brown remain on the roster.

“The thing I’ve always said to my teams is that I don’t think you can appoint a leader,” Gentry said. “I think leaders will step up. We’ll see out of this bunch of guys who ends up doing that. I don’t think it’s anything I can do as a coach.”